1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a wireless device and an operation thereof, and, more particularly, to a method, apparatus, and system for automatically changing an operating mode of the wireless device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of wireless devices continues to increase in modern society. People of various socioeconomic statuses use wireless devices in increasing numbers. Wireless devices may include various types of fixed, mobile and/or portable two-way communication devices, such as radios, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and/or various wireless networking devices. The presence of wireless devices sometimes can interfere with operations of machineries, transportation facilities, etc. For example, often, airlines require that passengers in an airplane disable wireless devices during operation of the airplane. Regardless of the rationale for these rules, the fact remains that airlines rely on compliance of these rules for safe operation of airplanes. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important that wireless devices be placed in a an altered, less functional mode such that it complies with the requirements promulgated by the airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Transportation, and/or the like. Many systems generally lack an efficient, non-intrusive manner to allow for such an altered mode of operation.
In another context, environmental factors may affect the operation of wireless devices. For example, certain environmental conditions, such as humidity, temperature, pressure, etc., can affect normal operation of the wireless devices. One possible problem is that operation in certain environmental conditions, such as excessive temperature and/or humidity, damage to the circuitry in the device, e.g., a short circuit, may occur. Therefore, it would be desirable to reduce the possibility of malfunction of operation of, or damage to, the wireless device due to environmental factors.
Moreover, as the complexities of wireless devices increase, the amount of information processed and/or stored by the wireless devices also increase. This may cause various security concerns. Wireless devices generally carry various types of personal information, such as financial records, medical records, contact information, network access information, etc. If this information were to be accessed by an unauthorized user, the security and privacy of the user may be compromised. Some solutions to this problem attempt to provide some security for the user by requiring a password input. However, many times, these passwords can be over-ridden, compromised, or not implemented by the user. Therefore, it would be desirable to efficiently prevent unauthorized usage of the wireless device by efficiently detecting and reacting to such unauthorized accesses, while maintaining convenient access to authorized users.
Further, designers have attempted to provide certain restrictions on the operation or usage of wireless devices in certain contexts. However, the related art fails to perform such function in an efficient and/or non-intrusive manner. For example, designers have attempted to restrict usage of wireless devices in certain contexts, such as in an aircraft or in a vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,229 discloses a cell phone regulation system which shuts off cell phones when the user is in a vehicle that is traveling above a certain speed. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,833 discloses a system where an aircraft telecommunications system prevents a passenger's cellular phone from accessing the aircraft's air-to-ground wireless network during certain flight routines. In other examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,393,301 and 7,236,776, disclose in-car systems which place a cellular phone in a suspended mode when the car's speed is above a certain value. However, these disclosures are limited to cell phone restrictions based upon an external device that communicates with the cell phone in order to place the cell phone in a restricted mode, e.g. an aircraft telecommunications system that prevents a passenger's cell phone from accessing the aircraft's air-to-ground wireless network.
Further, some in-car systems refer to a separate device in the car that communicates with a cell phone in order the disable the phone. In each of these cases, the determination with regard to speed and operation of the aircraft or the vehicle is determined by an external device that is immediately proximate to the cellular phone, wherein the external device provides this communication to the cell phone in order to restrict the use of the cell phone. The systems described above generally perform many of these functions in an intrusive and inefficient manner, using an external device that is proximate to the cell phone. Further, these systems require an external device to be in place within the aircraft or the vehicle. This requires additional costs for hardware and installation of the systems. Still further, these systems are only operational when the external controllers properly communicate with the wireless device, which may require excessive synchronization, excessive circuitry, and excessive coordination with various technology standards, which may or may not exist. Many systems generally lacks an intelligent system within a wireless device that is capable of assessing certain conditions in order to determine and implement an appropriate operating mode of the wireless device.